Engaged Reading Time - Issue #64

Welcome back to my (theoretically) weekly digest of interesting reads from around the internet.

This week I have finally and formally closed down the paid part of this newsletter. From now on, it’s just a free digest of weekly reads, and that’s all. It’s a relief to kill off a failed experiment - and a case of practicing what I preach, too. I’ve always maintained that journalism businesses cling on to failing experiments for too long.

The confusion between the paid journalism-centric newsletter and the free “general reads” made the whole thing just too complicated a sell. I gained a small but hardcore group of paying customers, but not enough to sustain the effort. And so, I’m trying other things instead.

From now on, if you want journalism-centric stuff from me in you inbox - head over to here and subscribe. (And yes, you can give me money there for extra stuff, if you feel so inclined.) And you might find another wee experiment taking form elsewhere…

Susan Fowler’s blog post about the sexism at harassment at Uber started a process that toppled its CEO, and contributed to the rise of the #metoo movement. But the consequences for her own life were pretty horrific. This is a tale of a malign corporation.

Talking of climate deniers, here’s a fantastic piece of German investigative journalism into the way money is funnelled into attempt to oppose climate legislation - including harnessing emerging influencers.

This is both delightful and slightly terrifying. A 12 year old wrote an unofficial sequel to a game a quarter of a century ago, and shares it with some friends. He assumes it’s lost forever. He’s wrong.

Brand marketing isn’t something I normally get into here, but I do find these #theseatome videos from outdoor clothing brand Finisterre (which, admittedly, I am a very small shareholder in) to be both relaxing and thought-provoking.

And that’s about as good as it gets, frankly.

The Sea To Me | Kate Hamsikova on Vimeo

Midterm Adventures

Tiny explorers

It was midterm this week, and despite the, uhh, variable weather, I was able to get out for some adventures with my girls. This image is from a day at RSPB Pulborough Brooks. My daughters decided that RSPB stood for “rude society for poos and bums” which is clearly juvenile, offensive and very, very funny.